Eventually, virtual reality (VR) will get to the point that it will be indistinguishable from real life-- all the senses will be fully involved. Other than having to take care of your biological body by eating, drinking, excreting, and (hopefully) bathing, you could "live" in a computer-generated world of your choosing. If that's what you want to do.
In this case, would you support VR for pedophiles? Totally computer-generated so that no real humans are ever involved or harmed, if it was shown to protect real kids? I know you might find that "if" hard to swallow, but that's the critical part.
I've never bought into the idea that "child pornography" that is produced using no actual humans-- drawn, written, or computer-generated-- is in itself wrong, since in that case there is no victim... even though I understand how it could whet the appetite of a pedo for the real thing. But what if something was even more satisfying to them than the real thing?
Or, could it be more satisfying? (I think the answer is obviously yes, just because of how technology works on the brain.)
Is the risk of the real thing what attracts them to it? I doubt that is usually the case, but I accept that it might be the case for some. Or might it be the feeling of power over another? If that's the case this obviously wouldn't satisfy those individuals. But the rest of them?
I do think it's something that should be considered instead of being dismissed automatically because "Pedos! Woodchippers! Brrrrzzzz!!"
I also think this idea might work to satisfy people who want to go on killing sprees, to govern others, or do other unethical things. Keep them addicted to their VR world that gives them exactly what they crave, in a way precisely crafted for each individual, so they stay out of my world.
I'm all for letting people do whatever makes them happy as long as it doesn't violate the life, liberty, or property of any other person-- even when I HATE what they want to do. To me, this seems like it might actually work to protect kids from predators without violating anyone in any way. Remember that being offended isn't the same as being violated.
I also realize current legislation would prohibit this... but should it?
What do you think?
I feel like a SHTF event is imminent. Notice I don't say I think it is, rather it's just a feeling. Possibly triggered by the upcoming election.
I don't have a crystal ball. I'm almost definitely wrong.
If you can see it coming, it's not going to happen. That's almost a guarantee.
Just like the Coronapocalypse came at us out of nowhere, triggered by unexpected government overreactions to a fairly normal virus, a more serious event will also be a surprise. Consider the Coronapanic a practice run. It should have shown you the holes in your preps if you were paying attention.
I lucked out with the panicdemic because I was ready. Well, maybe it wasn't completely luck; I've prepped for years "just in case", and it finally paid off. I was pretty sure I wouldn't see it coming when it finally happened, and I didn't. But it didn't matter because I stay ready all the time-- and I have done so since well before the Y2K fizzle. I intend to be just as ready, if not more ready, the next time something ...
Sometimes it's good to just listen to people's stories without interrupting, even when you know the stories are nonsense.
My 2nd wife used to tell of a ghost that lived in her house when she was a kid. It was an interesting story even though I didn't believe it. I learned quickly that her family was very prone to believe anything as long as it fit with their magical worldview.
Other people tell me stories about beneficial things political government can do. These stories are no more true-- in the sense of being objective reality-- than ghost stories, but they can still be informative if you want to know which particular superstitions a person is living under.
Interrupt and you'll never hear the whole tale. Listen and you might be entertained by some fantastical tales of magical realms. Just don't bet your life on them being true.
My nature is such that I simply can't see government as a solution to anything. This puts me at odds with most of the rest of my species.
Yes, I think "social media" has become a horror. This doesn't mean I want government to regulate it; it means I think people who don't like it (or are too dumb to know not to take it at face value) should probably stop using it.
The same is true of so many other things I don't like.
Litter/pollution, scammers, sexual predators, abortion, animal cruelty, Hillary Clinton, poverty, drug abuse, pandemics, crime, and all manner of awful things.
I may hate them, but that doesn't mean I want government to step in. Look how often that has the opposite effect anyway; making the original problem worse-- or at least not solving it-- while also creating a host of new problems that never would have existed otherwise (anti-gun legislation being a perfect example).
And even if government intervention doesn't make this specific problem worse this particular ...
